Psalm 65:1-13 Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy. Psalm 65:8 Our translation of Psalm 65:8 reads, “Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspired shouts of joy.” The Hebrew word translated here as “wonders” (’ot) might be rendered more... Read more
Today I got the sad news that Fr. Robert Farrar Capon, the theologian and writer (most famously of The Supper of the Lamb), has died. The Supper of the Lamb is the book that has most influenced my own work, as a writer and teacher (and cook!). It is, simply, the most wonderful food-related and possibly theology-related book I’ve ever read. But instead of my rhapsodizing, I give you some links to check out: A quick announcement and some quotations to... Read more
I have an office, but I also work from home sometimes, and my husband works from home pretty much all the time. And so we can attest to what Ed Cyzewski recently pointed out at The High Calling: the danger of working from home is that life and work can bleed into one another in unhealthy ways. I make my own schedule, but my work also has a way of spilling out of my schedule and into my family time,... Read more
I’ll be honest: I’m a fairly well-informed citizen who believes that my faith should inform the way I think and act in the public square. Add to this that some of my best friends work in and around politics, on both sides of the aisle, as researchers, aides, scholars, professors, and public servants. But I still find that I’m often confused about politics — especially when faced with reasonable arguments and God-fearing people on both sides of the issue. One... Read more
Have you ever felt like you’re just hanging in an in-between space – on the threshold of something new, but not quite there yet? In a time threaded with liminality, all I have to offer is my finite, fallible self, my defenseless skin, and I try to hold onto my capacity to be faithful to the inexhaustible opening of time and whatever glories or agonies attend it. I think about the coming months, this precarious stretch, my parents and my... Read more
Two people I like and respect a whole lot are Meaghan Ritchey (we worked together for a while at International Arts Movement) and Dan Siedell (author of God in the Gallery, a book that has shaped my thinking about art and theology). Meaghan interviewed Dan recently for The Curator, asking him about his work as a curator, and the results are tremendous: How does your interaction with an artist evolve from your initial encounter with their work, to studio visit, and then... Read more
My friend Kari is a school librarian, and she recently posted a prayer for the beginning of the school year. My school year starts tomorrow, and I’ll wager you know at least one person who needs a bit of prayer to start off the year well – teachers, administrators, and students: Ready or not, our students are back to school tomorrow. It seems especially cruel to start on a Monday. For one thing, it would be nice to have one... Read more
I don’t know about you, but I find the internet exhausting sometimes. Last week I was in rural New England and out of range for four days, and I felt a sense of rest and peace settle over me that I haven’t felt in a while – not that I think the Internet is a bad thing, but keeping up with it can be a full-time job. Are you tired? Then take a break and read this piece from the... Read more
If you get the chance to see Short Term 12 this weekend – it’s opening in limited release – you should. From my review at Christianity Today Movies: . . . the normal rules of moviemaking often dictate that either the law is good or working outside the law is good. (Often the latter wins out: see many of the vigilante films and television shows out there.) To point out a problem in the law, then, can amount to suggesting the whole system is... Read more
It’s no secret to my friends that Laity Lodge is one of my favorite places on earth. (I was just telling a group of coworkers about my experiences there last weekend!) Well, they’ve released their fall retreat schedule, and there’s some great stuff on it, like a retreat about our stories and God’s, featuring Amy Grant, Ashley Cleveland, and Sally Lloyd-Jones. Might be time to venture back to hill country. Read more
Mark D. Roberts
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In